Tag: Blue Jay

Categories
Renovation

Building a patio (7 of 7).

Red cedar flower box and light fixture.
Red cedar flower box and light fixture.

We have arrived at the last article in the “ Building a patio ” series. The photo above shows the two-tiered flower box as well as the three-step staircase that has been completely redone. The last step must be cut at an angle to follow the pronounced drop in the ground at this point, under the patio.

Black metal fence sawn and replanted.
Black metal fence sawn and replanted.

A general view of the railing and of the black metal fence to the left of the photo which has been sawn and set back in cement.

Red cedar siding under the patio and support post.
Red cedar siding under the patio and support post.

Above is a view of the red cedar siding built under the patio. I kept an access to the hose and didn’t block out all of the light entering in the basement window. Another fixture has also been reactivated.

Close-up of the red cedar siding under the patio.
Close-up of the red cedar siding under the patio.

The photo above shows a close-up of the siding under the patio. We can see a metal pole near the watering can which seems to support the terrace: its practical function is null; it is only there for appearance (all the siding is firmly fixed from the top).

View of the completed terrace.
View of the completed terrace.

Overview of the terrace.

HDR Wide angle view of the wooden deck
HDR Wide angle view of the wooden deck

Another overview of the patio. This time, I took the picture in HDR, meaning five pictures were taken with a different aperture and compiled on a computer to achieve a result that fights the highlights in the background. When you shoot westward with the sun going down, that’s what it looks like: you have to correct the photo in order to see something. The terrain looks larger than it actually is: this is due to the effect of the wide-angle lens.

Squirrel and Blue Jay on the new patio.
Squirrel and Blue Jay on the new patio.

The last photo is of a squirrel and a blue jay who regularly invite each other for a peanut meal on the patio. If you want to see some close-up photos of these blue jays, click on these pages of my site: Blue Jay in Autumn and Blue Jay and Russian Mountain Ash.

I hope this series on renovation and on building a patio has been helpful to you.

Categories
Environment Photography

Blue Jay in Autumn in Quebec City.

Blue Jay in a Russian Mountain Ash tree.
Blue Jay in a Russian Mountain Ash tree.

The picture above, taken with a Canon 5DS R full frame camera equipped with a Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens was taken in the Fall morning in Quebec City, after a night with frost. The Russian Mountain Ash berries have not yet been eaten by all kinds of birds, so we can use them for our bird photography session before it is too late.

In anticipation of the cold winter days, I designed a retractable feeder to help the family of five blue jays which lives in the neighborhood. I thought it would take several days for them to get to grips with the new system, but in less than 24 hours, they were gleefully stuffing themselves.

Blue Jay eating peanuts
Blue Jay eating peanuts

The five blue jays each have a well-defined behavior. I have one who accepts to eat peanuts in my hands, but he mistakes my fingertips for the tip of a peanut. He pulls but nothing helps : the peanut does not follow. He probably suffers from myopia…

There is another who spends his time changing his mind; he chooses a peanut, then puts it back in the pot, then chooses another. After procrastinating and swapping the peanuts multiple times, he flies away. Another is an aerobatic ace; it arrives at high speed and catches peanuts in a fraction of a second without stopping. It rarely drops it.

Hermit Thrush in a Russian Mountain Ash.
Hermit Thrush in a Russian Mountain Ash.

During this time, the Hermit Thrush in the tree continues to taste the small red berries, indifferent to the activities of the blue jays.

Click on the link for other photos of Quebec City and île d’Orléans in Autumn on my blog.

Categories
Photography

Blue Jay and Russian Mountain Ash

Blue jay and Russian Mountain Ash. Autumn 2020 in Quebec City.
Blue jay and Russian Mountain Ash. Autumn 2020 in Quebec City.

Every Autumn, a Blue Jay lands on our patio knowing he can stock up for the winter. After hearing his calls, I quickly get the peanuts and the camera.

The pictures were taken with a Canon EOS 5DS R which allows significant cropping without loss of quality. In the photo above, the branches of the Russian Mountain Ash surround the bird and provide a natural setting.

I place the peanuts in front of the tree, just to include a few small red fruits in the photographic composition.

Blue jay with a peanut in front of a Russian Mountain Ash. Quebec City 2020.
Blue jay with a peanut in front of a Russian Mountain Ash. Quebec City 2020.

Capturing the blue jay in flight is a bit more difficult, but in the digital age and with a Canon EF 70-200mm f / 2.8L IS II USM lens, photographing birds in flight is made much easier. The photo below was taken with a shutter speed of 1/8000, an aperture of 4.0, and an ISO set at 1250.

Blue Jay in flight. Quebec City 2020.
Blue Jay in flight. Quebec City 2020.

I have yet to see a Blue Jay eat the fruits of our Russian Mountain Ash. On the other hand, the ravens of the neighborhood have no problem with them.

Raven in a Russian Mountain Ash
Raven in a Russian Mountain Ash

Here is a link for more pictures of Quebec in Autumn on my website.